As an alumnus of the inaugural March of the Living, I was appalled to read in the Israeli media that the March has cancelled the Israel leg of its 2002 journey. The definition of a march is a purposeful journey, on foot, from a starting point to a final goal. As a participant in the March, I can attest that the March met this definition. However, in light of the fact that the March has dropped Israel from its itinerary, the March is no longer deserving of its name.
In order for a solider to march, he must be able to stand on both legs. Similarly, the March of the Living stands on two legs: the initial leg visiting painful sites from the Holocaust and the final leg visiting the Living Israel ? the people of Israel living in the Land of Israel. If one of these legs is amputated, the solider can no longer continue to proudly march along on his journey; rather, one is left with an amputee who can no longer contribute according to his full potential.
The March of the Living was named such in contrast to the ?Death March?, the forced march of the remaining living corpses from Auschwitz to Birkenau. However, the timing of the March of the Living shows that, in fact, the ?Living? includes two other important events: the commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the celebration of Israel?s Independence Day. By amputating the Israel leg of the March, these two events are shamed and dishonored. Who are we honoring when we commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising? It is those who did not give up. When the situation was precarious, these honorable Jewish soldiers dug in and fought the Nazis. These soldiers did not flee in shame from the battle ? they fought, against all odds, rather than surrender to the Nazis. Who are we honoring when we celebrate Israel?s Independence Day? We are honoring all those soldiers who did not give up, those who fought against all odds, in order to redeem the Land of Israel from non-Jewish hands.
The March of the Living is short, but it is a difficult and arduous journey for its participants. Let us not forget two solemn days occurring during the March: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). Let the March remember these days as well. On Yom HaShoah we remember those who did not merit seeing the People of Israel as a free nation in the Land of Israel. On Yom HaZikaron we remember those who gave their last strength in order to ensure that other Jews should be able to live as a free nation in the Land of Israel. By amputating the Israel leg of the journey from its itinerary, the March of the Living desecrates the memory of those who gave their dying breath for the Nation of Israel.
The Directors of the March of the Living have dishonored all those Jewish soldiers throughout history who fought valiantly for the Jewish cause and the Land of Israel. By capitulating to pressure from the parents of the students and by the pressure generated by Arafat, the Directors of the March show that they are not worthy of the heroes whom they are attempting to honor. In fact, they are conveying the opposite message: when things are tough and the situation in the Land of Israel is precarious, the appropriate action is to flee and return to the Diaspora. The students will be left with the message of the Holocaust instead of the redemption of the Living Land of Israel.
That brings us directly to the goal of our March: The strengthening of the Jewish flame within those who merit participation in such an experience. This can be accomplished only by celebrating the Living State of Israel. Only by achieving its goal can a march be successful.
I can only hope that those young adults on this year?s March of the Living will not be left as amputees. They should understand that they will have to be heroes themselves and come to be a part of the Living Israel.
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Ophir Chernin, a participant in the 1988 March of the Living, lives in Beit Shemesh.
In order for a solider to march, he must be able to stand on both legs. Similarly, the March of the Living stands on two legs: the initial leg visiting painful sites from the Holocaust and the final leg visiting the Living Israel ? the people of Israel living in the Land of Israel. If one of these legs is amputated, the solider can no longer continue to proudly march along on his journey; rather, one is left with an amputee who can no longer contribute according to his full potential.
The March of the Living was named such in contrast to the ?Death March?, the forced march of the remaining living corpses from Auschwitz to Birkenau. However, the timing of the March of the Living shows that, in fact, the ?Living? includes two other important events: the commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the celebration of Israel?s Independence Day. By amputating the Israel leg of the March, these two events are shamed and dishonored. Who are we honoring when we commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising? It is those who did not give up. When the situation was precarious, these honorable Jewish soldiers dug in and fought the Nazis. These soldiers did not flee in shame from the battle ? they fought, against all odds, rather than surrender to the Nazis. Who are we honoring when we celebrate Israel?s Independence Day? We are honoring all those soldiers who did not give up, those who fought against all odds, in order to redeem the Land of Israel from non-Jewish hands.
The March of the Living is short, but it is a difficult and arduous journey for its participants. Let us not forget two solemn days occurring during the March: Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) and Yom HaZikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). Let the March remember these days as well. On Yom HaShoah we remember those who did not merit seeing the People of Israel as a free nation in the Land of Israel. On Yom HaZikaron we remember those who gave their last strength in order to ensure that other Jews should be able to live as a free nation in the Land of Israel. By amputating the Israel leg of the journey from its itinerary, the March of the Living desecrates the memory of those who gave their dying breath for the Nation of Israel.
The Directors of the March of the Living have dishonored all those Jewish soldiers throughout history who fought valiantly for the Jewish cause and the Land of Israel. By capitulating to pressure from the parents of the students and by the pressure generated by Arafat, the Directors of the March show that they are not worthy of the heroes whom they are attempting to honor. In fact, they are conveying the opposite message: when things are tough and the situation in the Land of Israel is precarious, the appropriate action is to flee and return to the Diaspora. The students will be left with the message of the Holocaust instead of the redemption of the Living Land of Israel.
That brings us directly to the goal of our March: The strengthening of the Jewish flame within those who merit participation in such an experience. This can be accomplished only by celebrating the Living State of Israel. Only by achieving its goal can a march be successful.
I can only hope that those young adults on this year?s March of the Living will not be left as amputees. They should understand that they will have to be heroes themselves and come to be a part of the Living Israel.
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Ophir Chernin, a participant in the 1988 March of the Living, lives in Beit Shemesh.